One of the most important things about an album is the cover art. If you have an awesome cover, people are going to be more inclined to buy your album. If your cover sucks… then people wont want to waste their money. here is a selection of the worst offenders.

The finnish love mettallers return with the follow-up to 2007s Venus Doom, Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice.

The first album the band have recorded with frontman Ville Valo sober is also their happiest album yet. Valo described it as “Guns ‘N Roses meeting Depeche Mode on a good day.”

Opening track In Venere Veritas opens the album in a spectacular fashion, with great vocals from Valo and some great guitar work from Mikko “Linde” Lindström.

Ville Valo’s lyrics on this album are based on his experiences of falling in love, which may explain why the album is so upbeat, but the lyrics on this album are really good and there are many memorable lines.

The first single, Hearkiller is another great song, with some cool synths and a gain great guitars by Linde, possibly the most under rated guitarist in rock music.

Screamworks is probably then catchiest HIM album to date, with some dazzling choruses that make you want to sing along. There is also much more keyboards and synth on this album that any of their earlier releases.

My personal favourite song on the album is Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness), a superb ballad, with again excellent guitars from Linde, the solo on this track isn’t the most skillful solo but it fits the song perfectly, and again, this song has a great chorus, which makes you want to wave your lighter in the air.

The only flaw with this album is that HIM haven’t tried anything really new, but then again, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

Like St. Valentine, the second single from the album, is also brilliant, it will definitely be included in the next HIM best of collection, as will many of the tracks on this album.

In all, this is another fantastic HIM album, which is almost on the level of Love Metal and Dark Light. if you like HIM, then buy this album, you will not be disappointed.

HIM’s new album will be released next February and will be titled Screamworks: Love In Theory & Practice.

The tracklisting is:

Ode To Solitude
Scared To Death
Heart Killer
Dying Song
Disarm Me
Love The Hardest Way
Katherine Wheel
In The Arms Of Rain
Shatter Me With Hope
In Venere Veritas
Acoustic Funeral
St. Valentine
Smother A Heart